Just a Little Camping Trip
by RJane's Vindication
Summary: Adam's going to be leaving for college soon, and his younger brothers aren't dealing with the news all too well. Wanting to spend as much time together as possible, he arranges for a brotherly camping trip. It's just a little camping trip, what could possibly go wrong? As always, nothing is easy for the Cartwright boys, and this adventure is going to be anything but!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I always said that I wasn't going to have two stories going at once, and I probably have no business starting another one, but here it is anyway. My other story, Whispers, has been quite intense lately, and I felt the need to write something of the lighter variety, which this is going to be. Of course, as is becoming the trend with all my stories, there always has to be at least a little angst, and this is that obligatory 'angsty' chapter. :)**

**I have been writing a lot lately, and hopefully this story doesn't feel too rushed and sloppy. I plan to work on Whispers and this story simultaneously, with posts probably together.**

**As always, I'd love to hear what you think, so if you can, leave me a quick note! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just the emotions!**

**{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}**

It had been a good day.

Lazily stretching his arms over his head, Adam Cartwright yawned loudly as he stood from where he'd been sitting at his desk. The rain had been relentless all afternoon, and he had taken advantage of the fact by thoroughly taking it easy, spending the time reading one of his favorite books and updating his journal. His eyes brightened with excitement, a wide grin crossing his face as he looked back down at the letter lying open on the desk. It had only come that morning—all the way from Boston. The acceptance letter still had him slightly in shock, and even as he'd dreamed of the day when he could go back east to go to college, the actuality of it still struck him as unreal.

But it was real, very real, and everything was coming together quickly. After his father had returned from town with the mail and the contents of the letter had been divulged, the two of them had sat and discussed the matter thoroughly. The pride in Ben Cartwright's eyes at the news had caused the characteristically stoic young man to blush, and the discussion that had followed had been serious and respectful, between two men. Since neither had expected an unfavorable answer when Adam had first sent in his application, the plans had already been tentatively put in place, leaving only a few details to be discussed. It made him slightly dizzy to think about how quickly it was all coming together-he would be leaving in one month's time, first by stage to St. Louis, then by train to Massachusetts where he was to stay with his grandfather for the duration of his education.

Adam had always known that he wanted to get a further education, but the uncertainness of life on the Ponderosa had often given him cause to think that his dream would never become a reality. This new and now-certain realization that the acceptance letter meant was almost too incredible to be true. If he was to be truthful to himself however, his insatiable appetite for learning was only one of the reasons that he was so eager to go away to school.

He was going to be staying with his grandfather, his mother's father, a man he had never met yet had always been curious about. His mother having died when he was born, the only things Adam knew about her were the memories that his father would occasionally share. His heart had always ached to know more about her, to really learn about that part of his family, and now he was being given just that opportunity. It was enough to break through his normally serious exterior, leaving him practically giddy with excitement.

Adam had exited his room and descended down the stairs, still smiling to himself as he continued to think about the letter sitting on his desk. He had just reached the bottom step when a slight whimpering noise suddenly caught his attention. Pausing for a moment to listen, he heard a slight shuffling sound coming from somewhere in the spacious living area. Curious as to the source of the sound, Adam's eyes darted around the big room, finally stopping at his father's large desk in the far corner. Hearing another whimper, he strode quickly across the large room, his hazel eyes darkening in concern as he saw the slight form curled up behind it.

'Joe! Little buddy, what is it? What's the matter?'

Adam dropped to his knees next to the child, leaning over the sobbing little boy. Joe was lying on the floor, his face buried in his arms as he tried to smother his cries. The little boy lifted his head and looked up with teary eyes at the sound of his older brother's voice, his face pinching tightly as if he was in pain when he realized who was talking to him. Adam held out his arms, anticipating Joe's usual need to cling tightly for comfort in times of distress, but instead of moving closer to his older brother, the six-year-old only pushed himself further under the desk and away from Adam's reach, his sobs growing louder by the minute. Adam was both confused and hurt by his little brother's reaction, and he took a second to steady his voice before attempting again.

'Little buddy…what's wrong? Why are you crying?' Adam attempted to crawl under the desk, trying to reach for his little brother, but he couldn't quite get his arms around the distraught child, his fingers just touching Joe's leg. He stared anxiously at the figure under the desk, his heart quickening as sudden concern washed over him. 'Are you hurt? Tell me, Joe, please. Just tell me what's wrong…'

Joe gulped back a sob, and moved a trembling hand in an unsuccessful attempt at brushing away the tears that streamed unhindered down his cheeks. The little boy's bright green eyes flashed with such sadness that Adam felt his heart twist, a feeling of dread beginning to overwhelm him as the little boy continued to refuse to answer. Burying his head in his arms again, the little boy finally managed to stutter out a response to his older brother's question.

'I h-heard P-pa talkin' to H-hoss,' the small voice cried brokenly. 'He…he said that y-you're gonna g-go away…you're gonna l-leave…' Unable to say anything else, Joe's sobs grew louder, his breath starting to hitch in his throat.

Adam felt his heart drop in his chest as he watched the little boy crying, his own eyes filling with tears. He'd known of his father's plan to tell his younger brother Hoss about his impending departure, but they hadn't decided yet on how to inform Joe, worried about how the little boy might react. It was apparent that Joe had overheard pieces of the conversation, and, just as they had both feared, the small child hadn't taken the news well. Feeling all of the excitement he'd had since getting the acceptance letter suddenly evaporating into thin air, Adam's eyes reflected the sorrow he could see showing so plainly in the small, shaking form hiding under the desk. Joe's next words tore at his older brother's heart.

'W-why, Adam?' Joe lifted pained eyes to stare at Adam sadly, the tears still running down his face. 'Why ya gotta go away? D-don't ya love us no m-more?'

'Oh, Joe…' Adam's voice was barely a whisper as he stretched open his arms in another attempt to reach the little boy. His own tears threatening to overflow, his eyes implored his little brother to come close enough so that he could reach him. After another tense moment, Joe's resolve to stay away finally failed, and the little boy submitted to his older brother's request.

Joe crawled out from under the desk into his brother's waiting arms, and Adam pulled him close, hugging him tightly to his chest. The little boy buried his face in his brother's shirt, his sobs increasing again as Adam's arms wrapped securely around him. Memories of similar instances of comforting his little brother in the same way flooded Adam's mind as he began to rock the child in an effort to calm him. The soothing motion gradually caused Joe's sobs to lessen, eventually the tears ending in sniffles and an occasional hiccup. Joe stared up at his brother with wide eyes, and Adam ran his hand over the tear-stained cheeks as he wiped the residual moisture off of the little boy's face.

'Please, Adam…_don't_ … don't go away,' the small voice pleaded sadly, tears threatening to spill again.

Adam just stared at the little boy, taking note of the absolute devastation on Joe's face. Emotions welling inside of him, it took all of his self-control to not begin crying himself, and when he was finally able to speak, his words came out in a choked whisper.

'Oh, Joe…little buddy, it's not like that at all. I'd never stop loving you, or Hoss, or Pa.' He smiled faintly as he tried to keep his voice steady. 'You know what I've always told you about getting an education, right?' The little boy nodded, remembering all of the times Adam had told him going to school was important. 'Well, that's what I'm going to be doing, I'm going to school. Now, the school I'm going to go to, it's far away and I'll have to go away, but it's just for a little while. But then I'll be back, I promise.'

'But why ya got to go away to git an e'jicat'on?' The little boy's lip quivered as the tears shone in his green eyes. Joe pondered his own question for a moment, and his next words were whispered excitedly; the little boy obviously relieved that he'd just managed to come up with a solution to the problem at hand. 'Ya can come with me to school, ya don't hafta go. Miss Adams is real nice, she'd let ya come with me….please Adam, ya can come with me…can't ya? P-please…just don't go…' Joe finished his rambled idea and lifted hopeful yet pleading eyes to watch his older brother's anguished reaction.

Adam's emotions were whirling, and he sighed as he struggled to find the words to say. As much as he'd been excited to be actually going to college, he'd never thought about how hard it was going to be to leave his family behind. Four years was an incredibly long time, too long to try to explain to a little boy who had just thought he had solved the problem. He stared down at his little brother, sucking in a sharp breath as he watched the hope fade from the boy's brilliant green eyes. Joe sighed deeply as the tears began to trickle down his face again, Adam's silence speaking to the little boy louder than any words ever could. Adam wasn't sure if he could bear it.

'Oh, Joe…' he whispered, pushing Joe from his chest for a moment so that he could look straight into the little boy's eyes. 'I promise you, even though I'm going away for a while…I'm coming back. I would never, never leave you…you're my brother, and brothers stick together.'

Joe just whimpered in reply, and Adam pulled him back into a tight hug, resting his chin on the little boy's curly hair. 'But I have to go. It's just something I have to do.' He rushed to continue before his own tears choked him. 'I know it doesn't seem to make much sense, and it doesn't seem fair, but I'm hoping that you'll try to understand. I've never told you something that wasn't true, right?' He waited expectantly as Joe solemnly shook his head. _No, Adam had never lied to him before_. Adam smiled softly. 'I need you to believe me that I'm telling you the truth. I'll be back, I promise.'

'I…I believe you, Adam,' the little boy cried, burying his face again in his brother's shift, his voice muffled by the fabric. 'It's just, I'm…I'm gonna miss you a whole lot!'

'I'm going to miss you too, little buddy,' Adam whispered, eyes blurring with tears as he felt a slight relief course through his body at Joe's acceptance, albeit a reluctant one at that, of his impending departure. He hugged the little boy tighter, suddenly feeling the full weight of the realization of just how hard all of this was going to be to give up in the pursuit of his dream.

Adam rocked his little brother gently until he felt Joe fall limp against him, and he smiled softly as he watched the little boy sleeping in his arms. His fingers trailed gently down the sleep-flushed cheeks, tender in their touch as he wiped away the last remaining tear stains. As he sat watching the little boy sleep, Adam came to the sudden realization that he needed to speak to someone else. Awkwardly pulling himself up from the floor, he managed to stand, still holding the sleeping child cradled to his chest. Moving slowly across the room, he carried his brother into the kitchen, depositing the drowsy Joe on a chair that stood next to the woodstove. He then turned his eyes to a rather irritated looking Hop Sing, the man grumbling about the intrusion into his kitchen. Trying his best to appease the wiry man, Adam was finally excused, not without a disapproving look from Hop Sing. Before Adam had even left the kitchen, the man had already turned his attention to the youngest Cartwright, a cookie already finding it's way into the little boy's hand.

Adam smiled weakly at the thought of how his youngest brother had a way of wrapping all of them around his little finger, even as he appeared to be unaware of the influential power he possessed. A plan beginning to take shape in his mind, he hurried outside to the barn. He had another brother to talk to.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

He was just where Adam had figured he'd find him, Hoss standing in Chance's stall, brushing and combing the horse's long mane. Adam smiled again as he thought about the way his gentle younger brother reacted in times of distress. His coping mechanism never changing, Hoss's caring heart always found comfort in taking care of one of the horses or some wounded animal he was always finding and rescuing.

'Hiya, Adam,' the pale eyed boy spoke softly, as to not alarm the horse, and Adam smiled again at his brother's inherently gentle touch with the animal. He also wasn't surprised at how his younger brother had known it was him without even turning around.

'Hi, yourself,' Adam grinned as his brother turned around to face him for the first time. 'Can we talk for a minute?'

'Yeah, sure.'

Hoss smiled back at him, but Adam could clearly see that the smile didn't reach up to the teenager's pale eyes. Just turned thirteen, Hoss had a gentleness about him that contradicted his physical stature. Five years younger than Adam, he was almost as tall as his older brother and was quickly gaining on the difference. But for all that his size could be used to intimidate, Adam knew that his brother would never act on it. Hoss was one of the most kind-hearted, good-natured people he knew, and he was proud to call him his brother. Loyal to a fault, Adam knew that his brother would give him a straight answer to the question he was about to ask, even as he already knew how much his younger brother was hurting.

'Pa told you?' The question was asked softly, and Adam scrutinized his brother's response, flinching at the dark shadow of sadness that flashed through Hoss's eyes. Quickly recovering, Hoss looked up and met his brother's gaze, nodding slightly.

'Yeah, he told me ya got the letter from that school.' He smiled brightly, but Adam could hear the slight tremor in the boy's voice. 'Congratulations, Adam…I guess ya'll be gettin' that education you always wanted.'

'Hoss, I…'

'I'm happy fer ya, Adam,' Hoss said quickly, a slight flush crossing his features. His gaze dropped down to his feet and he kicked at a tuft of hay on the barn floor. 'It's jist, it's gonna be so different here…without ya…' his voice trailed off awkwardly. 'Joe's sure gonna be upset…'

'He already knows,' Adam said dejectedly, the words causing Hoss's head to snap up, his eyes shining brightly with instant concern.

'How? Did Pa tell 'im already? I thought he was gonna wait…'

'No, Pa didn't tell him,' Adam shook his head sadly. 'I don't know how he heard it, but he did.' Seeing the wide eyes staring at him, he hurried to continue. 'Hoss, it's not your fault…besides, he was going to find out anyway.' He stared intently at his younger brother. 'I came out here because I want to know something. How do you really feel about all of this?'

'Well, I…uh…' Hoss's brow furrowed as he tried to think of the words he wanted to say. He suddenly reached out and grabbed his older brother in a fierce hug, the gesture surprising Adam. His voice trembled as he spoke quickly. 'Augh, dang it, Adam! I'm happy fer ya, I know how long ya've wanted to go to that fancy college back East…read more of 'em books ya like so much…spend time learnin' about yer Ma…'

The astuteness of his younger brother's words surprised Adam; only he and his Pa had spoken of such things, but somehow, Hoss had not only picked up on his older brother's thoughts but was accepting and understanding of them as well. It only served to remind Adam of how close his family actually was, causing another wave of sadness to wash over him at the thought of leaving them all behind.

'You know that I'll miss you, too,' he whispered softly, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. 'I promise you, I'll write every week…and when I come back…' his voice caught in his throat. He changed the subject, giving his brother a faint smile. 'Will you take care of him for me?'

'What?' Hoss's eyes widened again as he looked at his brother with momentary confusion, relaxing again as he quickly realized what Adam meant. 'Ya meanin' Joe? Course I will, Adam. Ya don't have ta ask me that. He's as much my responsibility as he is yours.' His smile grew as he looked at his older brother fondly. 'I'll take good care of 'im, I promise.'

Adam blinked furiously to stop the mist forming in his eyes, nodding his head in approval. Taking a minute to compose himself, he cleared his throat gruffly and proceeded to share with his brother the plan that he'd begun to develop.

'Really, Adam? Ya mean it?' Hoss's eyes lit up with excitement as Adam smiled brightly and nodded his head. 'Just the three of us?'

'Just the three of us,' Adam confirmed, the excitement on his brother's face becoming contagious. 'So what do you think, you want to do this?' His voice was teasing, and he actually laughed at Hoss's eager head bobbing. 'I was thinking we could leave in a couple of days…if that suits you.'

'Suits me jist fine!' Hoss teased back. It was only when a sudden thought came to him that his excitement deflated slightly. 'But what's Pa gonna say?'

Adam looked at his brother knowingly. 'Don't worry about Pa,' he said softly, 'I'll talk to him. Besides,' his voice took on the teasing tone again, 'once Joe gets wind of this, there will be nothing Pa will be able to say, anyway. You know how Joe gets when he wants something, and you know Pa just can't ever refuse him.'

Hoss roared with laughter, nodding his head in agreement. 'Yeah, guess yer right 'bout that.' His face sobered slightly as he looked at his older brother. 'Thanks, Adam.'

Adam shook his head, the smile still on his face. The grateful smile on his younger brother's face said it all. If Hoss only knew the reality, Adam mused silently. It was he who needed to thank his younger brothers. He sprinted towards the house, the grin widening on his face as he thought about the adventure they were about to start on. He wasn't going to miss this for the world.

**{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}**

**So, what do you think? Should I continue? **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to all for such wonderful feedback! I'm so glad you all enjoyed my attempt at a lighter story. Ironically, I've been struggling on this just a bit—trying to be less angsty is apparently hard for me to do. Hopefully this chapter doesn't drag—not a lot of action yet, but we're building up to it. There's lots more to come, I promise :)**

**For the sake of this story, the boys' horses are named Scout, Chance and Pepper. Not sure where I got the names, but I like them.**

**Thanks as always for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy!**

**{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}**

'You want to do what?'

Ben's voice held surprised amusement as he looked at the young man standing in front of the fireplace. Adam, for his part, had remained decidedly nonchalant as he had mapped out his plan, but the silence that had followed his words had broken that calmness. Running a hand through his hair, Adam turned around to face his father again, and Ben could see the earnestness on the young man's face.

'I want to take Joe and Hoss on a camping trip,' Adam said evenly, looking his father straight in the eyes. 'Just the three of us.' At his father's raised eyebrow in his direction, Adam felt his face flush and an uncommon impatience starting to build. 'Look, Pa…I'm leaving in less than a month, and I just want to spend time with my brothers. Please.'

Ben's fatherly compassion took over as he watched the boy, knowing how important not only the proposal was to him, but his father's acceptance and blessing on it as well. Adam didn't generally express his emotions so readily, and Ben was certain he could see tears beginning to form in his oldest son's eyes.

It had been an emotional day for all of them. Starting with the euphoric high in Adam's body language after reading the received letter, the day had ended in dismal fashion with the utter misery and heartbreak written so plainly on Joe's face after the little boy had heard the news. He was still unsure just how his youngest had heard, but that mattered little now.

Ben had been cutting through the kitchen when he'd heard Joe's crying, but had stopped himself just outside the dining room door, refraining from checking on the boy once he'd heard Adam coming down the stairs. His heart had twisted when he'd heard the little boy's crying and as much as he'd wanted to comfort his youngest son, he had known that it was something Adam had needed to do. After he'd consoled Joe, Ben had watched as Adam had gone to find his other brother as well.

Ben smiled to himself with pride as he thought about how his oldest son had taken it upon himself to seek out and comfort his brothers. The young man had always been protective of his younger siblings, but in the past year that protectiveness had grown into something more. Ben was fiercely proud that his eldest was finally going to realize his dream of going to college; he'd never doubted that Adam would get accepted, but the harsh reality of him leaving was starting to wear on him too. He'd come to depend on the level-headed, intelligent young man, the one who could read his thoughts and see his visions of what the Ponderosa could become. Adam's departure was not going to just be hard on the two younger brothers who adored him; it was going to be hard on them all.

Ben could see that this trip meant something more to the young man. It wasn't just to appease his younger brothers, to give them a good memory before their older brother went away and left them. Ben could see how, almost desperately, the young man needed this, possibly even more than his two younger brothers. All three needed this time, giving them all a chance to prepare themselves for the long period of separation that lay ahead of them.

He trusted the eighteen-year-old completely, even as he worried with a parent's worry over the safety of all three of his boys. He supposed worrying would always be his burden to carry, no matter how old they grew. No, Ben's concern wasn't in the fact that he didn't trust Adam to keep his younger brothers safe. Adam could keep them safe from anything nature could throw at them… but, Ben wondered amusedly, who was going to keep the brothers safe from each other?

For as much as Ben knew that his boys were close, and he was grateful for that fact, he knew that each had a particular quirk, or quirks, that tended to aggrieve the others. Quickly turning his back to Adam, he smothered a smile as he thought about Joseph's tendency to complain about everything from being bored to being tired to being not tired; of Hoss's unfortunate ability of finding just the wrong moment to make one of his innocent observations; of Adam's tendency towards a haughty bossiness that overshadowed everything when he was speaking on a subject of which he had infinitely more knowledge than his brothers…which in the young man's own opinion was practically every moment on any given day; to….the combinations were endless.

No, Ben didn't have a problem with his boys going on a camping trip, he realized as he smiled to himself. His only problem was that he wasn't going to be there to watch.

'Well, Adam,' he paused, enjoying the sight of anxious waiting on his son's face, 'I suppose you better get packing up your supplies. If you want to get up to Cutter's Gap by mid-afternoon, you should get an early start.' He smiled widely as his normally stoic oldest son practically jumped up and down in his excitement.

'Thanks, Pa!' Adam's face broke into a broad grin and Ben could see the light of the smile reaching right up into his son's hazel eyes.

He shook his head in amusement as Adam raced from the room, and chuckled aloud at the sound of an excited roar escaping from his middle son; the yell quickly followed by thundering footsteps as the boys pounded up the stairs. Hoss must have been waiting in the next room to hear the verdict, Ben supposed, and the teenager was obviously pleased with the decision.

Ben shook his head again, smiling fondly at the thought. _Just a little camping trip_, Adam had told him. Indeed.

'Take care, son,' he chuckled softly. 'I think you're going to need all the help you can get.'

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

'But _Adam_…'

'For the last time, Joe…I said no,' Adam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He tried to remain calm as he watched the annoyed little boy in front of him. Turning away, he sucked in a deep breath and reminded himself to count to ten before he said something that he knew he would regret.

'I'm not too little…I wanna ride my own horse!' The little boy practically spat out the words, his anger showing in his blazing green eyes. Adam abandoned his counting as he turned to remind his little brother who was in charge.

'If you want to go, you will ride with me.' His voice was cool, indifferent, as he glared down at the angry little boy in front of him.

Adam had known this was going to happen, but that knowledge did little to quell the current annoyance he felt. Joe had only started riding by himself in the past few months, and the early evidence pointed to the fact that the little boy seemed born to ride. He was so good in the saddle that it scared the rest of his family, and they could already see how his natural ability led to a particular form of recklessness that gave them cause for concern. The little boy seemed to live for the thrill of the ride, a startlingly noticeable trait he shared with his late mother. Knowing Joe's impulsive nature, and due to the fact that the rough mountain trails they would be taking were too much for Joe's spirited, yet smaller, pony, both Adam and Ben had come to the decision that if Joe was to go on this trip, he would go riding double with either Adam or Hoss. And, as had been expected, the rebellious six-year-old had not taken the news well.

'This is the last time we are going to discuss this. You ride with me or you don't go at all. It's your choice. Now, do we understand each other?' Adam continued to glare at the boy in front of him.

The little boy glared back at him, but sensing that he wasn't going to win the argument and that there was no point in fighting the issue further, he spun on his heel and ran towards the barn. Adam sighed again and shook his head, startled by the sound of muffled laughter behind him. He lifted annoyed eyes to see his father quickly trying to hide a smile.

'Trouble, son?'

Ben could barely keep the laughter out of his voice, and Adam gave his father a dirty look in response. Ben chuckled out loud and laid a hand on Adam's shoulder. They stood in the silence for a moment, and Ben's next words came out thoughtfully, soberly. 'You want me to talk to him again?'

Adam sighed impatiently as he debated on whether or not to take his father up on his offer. Finally reaching a decision, he shook his head.

'No, it'll be okay,' he said slowly, trying to sound more confident than he felt. 'Joe will get over it quick enough.' The smile returned to his father's face as he continued. 'Besides, I understand why he's mad.'

And he did understand. Small for his age and remarkably fair, Joe had always looked even younger than his scant years, and had always felt the need to prove himself. Being the youngest, his father had practically doted on him up until his mother's death. Even though, and Adam couldn't deny it, it wasn't just his father who doted on the little boy—they all did.

That attention had only left the little boy desperate to show his older brothers that he was grown up. It had taken much pleading, far more than was normally needed for the child to get what he wanted, for Joe to get his father to agree to his riding by himself. It only having been a recent capitulation, and even if the riding was only just a small pony and not the larger horse he wanted to ride, it had still been a victory for the small boy. And now, his father's and brother's adamant requirement that he ride double or otherwise not go on the trip seemed just downright unfair, and had been a seriously hard blow to the determined little boy's ego. Yes, Adam thought, he remembered being Joe's age, wanting to prove something to his father, and so understood his brother's frustration.

Ben sighed heavily, and Adam looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. 'If that's what you want, son…' Ben's voice trailed off doubtfully, and Adam opened his mouth to protest, suddenly feeling as young as Joe again, feeling the need to prove himself. Before he could get a word out, however, Ben just shook his head and continued.

'I'm not questioning your decision here, son. You've done a good job taking care of your brothers, and you've got a sound plan for this trip. And we both agreed beforehand that Joe would ride with either you or Hoss.' He smiled as Adam relaxed slightly. 'But, maybe you should think this over again. I'd just hate for your last couple of weeks here…with us,' his voice caught slightly in his throat as his eyes misted, 'to be unhappy in any way. I'd hate to look back on this time and only remember fighting.'

Adam could hear the strain in his father's words, could see the emotion starting to well up in the man's dark brown eyes. And he suddenly realized what his father was thinking, what he was trying to say, and the realization made Adam shake slightly. His going away was going to be just as hard on his father as it was on his brothers.

'No, Pa. I'm not going to back out now…I want to do this,' Adam replied softly, his eyes wide as if begging his father to understand.

Ben stared long and hard at Adam, watching the boy's hazel eyes intently. The boy reflected the stubbornness that Ben had to ruefully admit he himself was known for, and the thought caused him to laugh again. The sound released the tension that had been building, and Ben brought his hand up to gently cuff his oldest's head, the young man glaring good-naturedly as he tried to pull away. Adam broke out into a grin then, and Ben smiled to see how the light had returned to the boy's eyes.

'Humph.'

The grunt from the small man who had suddenly appeared in front of them caused them both to turn. Adam's smile disappeared as Hop Sing glared indifferently at him, and Ben coughed suddenly to hide the laugh that threatened to escape from his throat.

'Here,' Hop Sing said coolly, pushing a large bundle towards the young man. Adam reached forward hesitatingly, and Hop Sing sighed in disdain. 'Nothing bad, just lunch for trip.'

'Uh…thanks,' Adam mumbled, taking the bulky package. Tying it securely to his growing pile of supplies, he turned as he felt eyes still following his movements. Hop Sing was still standing in front of him, staring at him with obvious disapproval. Adam's eyebrow arched as he calmly stared back.

Ben watched the standoff with barely concealed amusement. Hop Sing had a soft spot for all of the Cartwright boys, despite his numerous and often loud protests to the contrary. The small man was worried, plain and simple, and he was showing it the only way he knew how. Adam, Ben could tell, was aware of the man's true motivation, and, Ben realized with a tinge of pride, was holding his own in the standoff.

'Watch out for little one,' Hop Sing stated bluntly, his eyes narrowing as he frowned at the young man in front of him. 'Young Cartwrights better not come back with all clothes ruined.' He started to mouth his current variation of the all too familiar threat. 'Come back one piece, or else…'

'I know…I know, you'll quit and then what will we do?' Adam's voice calmly interrupted, and Ben watched Hop Sing visibly redden with anger. He glanced over and caught his son's gaze, Adam's face breaking into another smile. Adam directed a chastised look at the formidable cook in front of him. 'I promise, Hop Sing. I'll take care of them.'

'Humph.' Hop Sing huffed and turned away, but Adam could see how the man's attitude had relaxed slightly. Knowing he had just received as much approval from the man as he was ever going to get, Adam turned again to his father, Ben's eyes glinting with obvious amusement.

'We're ready ta go, Adam,' a quiet voice called from behind them. Ben and Adam both turned to see Hoss sitting on Chance, a subdued Joe sitting in front of him. Hoss cleared his throat and nodded his head in a slight gesture acknowledging the small boy. 'Joe's gonna ride with me for a bit, iffen that's okay with you, Adam.'

Joe's eyes turned to his brother, and he gave Adam a defiant glare. 'I don't know why you gotta be so mean, Adam. I coulda rode Pepper…it woulda been _fine_…'

'That is enough, young man,' Ben said sternly, moving towards Chance and gripping his youngest son's knee. His face displayed his displeasure, and Joe's gaze dropped in shame. 'I have explained this to you, and do not want to hear any more of this. You will ride with Hoss or Adam, or you will not go at all. Are we clear on this?' He waited, and not getting a response, he cleared his throat. 'Well?'

'Y-yes, Pa,' Joe stammered, his cheeks reddening. He lifted pleading eyes to look at both his father and brother. 'I…I'm sorry…I can still go, can't I? Please?'

Adam sighed softly, nodding his head at the little boy. He watched with a twinge of sadness as Joe's facial expression changed to one of relief. He sighed again when Joe turned his attention back to Hoss, making no further effort to acknowledge his oldest brother. Ben caught the look in Adam's eyes and leaned forward to speak to the young man.

'He'll come around, son,' Ben whispered, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder. 'By this afternoon, Joe will have forgotten all about it.' He smiled softly at Adam's nod of agreement, but then his expression sobered. He turned again to his two younger boys. 'Hoss, Joe, I want you to listen to your brother. Anything Adam tells you, you need to do it. Okay?' He watched Hoss's head bob enthusiastically, and waited for Joe to follow suit, the small boy's head finally acknowledging his father's words. Ben sighed and swatted Chance's rump. 'Go on, get out of here. Have fun.'

Hoss nodded, and letting Chance take the lead, he and Joe began to ride away down the road. Ben smiled as Joe shouted his goodbye over his shoulder, and then turned back around to look at Adam. His voice softened and wavered slightly as he spoke. 'Take care of yourself son. I don't have to tell you to take care of your brothers, I know you will. We'll see you in about a week.' He patted Adam's shoulder and quickly ducked his head.

Adam smiled sadly as he swung up onto Scout. Ben looked back up in time to see the pain in Adam's eyes, and whispered softly, 'It will be okay. Trust me.' Adam's eyes lit up slightly as he nodded, and, turning Scout, headed after his brothers.

Ben stood watching his boys disappearing down the road, not even turning when he felt the presence of someone else standing next to him. He could hear the worry even as the man tried to hide it with his skepticism.

'Young Cartwrights could get in big trouble.' Ben lifted a surprised eyebrow as he turned to the small man next to him. Hop Sing continued, shaking his head. 'Boys might kill each other.'

Ben responded lightly, much amused by the reaction he got from the man next to him.

'I only wish I was there to see it.'

The sound that echoed from Hop Sing's throat was an equal mixture of amusement and disapproval.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

The coolness of the morning had quickly dissipated as Adam led the silent group through the woods. Adam shook his head resignedly as he glanced over at his brothers riding on Chance. While Hoss gave him a small, sympathetic smile in response, Joe tried to ignore him, forcing his eyes to focus on anything except his older brother. Adam knew that even though Joe had apologized, the little boy was still holding a grudge over what had earlier transpired. He only hoped that the mood would change as they moved further into the woods.

'Hey, Joe! Would ya look at that?' Hoss's excited voice cut through the silence. Adam turned back around just in time to see Joe's eyes widening, a smile crossing the little boy's face for the first time that morning.

'What is it, Hoss?' Joe's voice lilted with a sudden excitement as he leaned forward in the saddle, his eyes following in the direction where his brother was pointing. Hoss shot a knowing grin to Adam before turning back to the small boy in front of him.

'Well, looks like a big ol' mountain lion was here,' Hoss grinned, pulling Chance to a stop to point to some strange markings on a tree. 'See them marks?' Joe nodded enthusiastically. 'That's where he gone and went scratchin' his paws…musta been real tired and was a stretchin', tryin' to wake up.' Hoss chuckled out loud when Joe shook his head. Winking at Adam, he continued. 'Now, now, I ain't joshin' ya. Big cats do scratch like that when they be tired.' He eyed Joe intently. 'Ya think ya can keep a sharp lookout for more a them tracks?'

Joe grinned widely, his head nodding emphatically. Unable to contain his excitement, the little boy's chatter soon drowned out the quietness of the morning as he eagerly pointed out any slight track he saw as they continued to ride. Hoss, ever patient with his little brother, explained to the boy what had made each mark. Adam smiled ruefully at the noise, the constant chatter making certain that any animal within miles would be long scared off before they were even in range to see them.

In practically no time at all, the sun was shining steadily overhead, and his companions had again gone silent. Adam pulled up on the reins, bringing Scout to a halt before turning back around to face his brothers. He smiled as he watched Joe's eyes blinking rapidly as the little boy attempted to stay awake.

'How about we stop for some lunch? Hop Sing packed it.'

'Ya hear that, Shortshanks?' Hoss smiled, poking his sleepy brother in the ribs. Joe mumbled a response and tried to snuggle back into the teenager's chest. 'Time ta eat!'

Hoss scrambled down from Chance, pulling a reluctant Joe with him. In no time, the three had unpacked the lunch, Hoss whooping in delight at the abundance of fried chicken Hop Sing had given them. He was on his third helping when he finally paused to ask the question he'd been wanting to ask all morning.

'So, Adam, where we headed, anyway?'

He had deliberately not told his younger brothers where they were headed beforehand. Adam had had the place in mind from the start, knowing his brothers were going to be excited about the surprise. His eyes darted from Hoss's intent attention to Joe's pretended indifference, and his hazel eyes lit up with sudden mischief.

'Oh,' he said nonchalantly, dropping his eyes back down to his own plate of food. 'I was just thinking we could go on up to Cutter's Gap, if that's okay with you.'

'Ya-hoo!'

Hoss's pale blue eyes sparked excitedly, and Adam smothered a smile as he watched the teenager jump to his feet, practically leaping in the air. He looked down at the slight tug on his sleeve.

'Really, Adam? Ya mean it?'

Ben and Adam had discovered Cutter's Gap a few years ago while on a hunting trip. On the very northern edge of the Ponderosa, the abandoned miner's claim came complete with a small cabin, an old mine shaft, and even a legend as to it's supposed owner's, a grizzly man named Zaccheus Cutter, untimely demise. Hoss and Joe had begged and cajoled to visit Cutter's Gap every since they'd been told the story, always to be rebuffed by their father. When Adam had told Ben his plan to take his brothers to Cutter's Gap, Ben had only smiled widely. Adam now smiled at the small boy who had suddenly curled up next to him.

'Yeah, little buddy, I mean it,' he smiled at the child's excitement-flushed features. He ran a hand through Joe's soft curls as the boy giggled softly. A wide yawn interrupted the little boy's laughter. Adam smiled at his little brother again. 'How about we get going? We've got a long way left to go.'

They packed up quickly and were soon on their way, Hoss forgetting his stomach and another helping of fried chicken in his excitement to get to their destination. Joe, fighting the sleepiness that was equally competing with his own excitement, didn't even notice as Adam pulled him up to sit in front of him on Scout. As the afternoon wore on, Hoss babbled on with questions about Cutter's Gap, the normally soft-spoken teenager barely taking a breath between words.

'We're here.'

Hoss leapt down from Chance, his head swiveling back and forth as he took in all the features of the abandoned claim. His eyes widened as he took in the old buildings and the mouth of the cave. Turning, he addressed his younger brother.

'Hey Shortshanks! Git on down from ol' Scout…let's go take a look at that ol' mine!'

Adam moved to lift his younger brother to the ground, stopping instantly when he felt the weight of his brother's limp body leaning heavily against his chest. His smile widened as he tenderly brushed the sleeping child's hair back from his forehead as Joe continued to sleep, oblivious to the excitement around him.

Adam exchanged a wide grin with Hoss, and then both of them looked again at the sleeping Joe. Yes, all was right again…and now it was time to get this little camping trip started.


End file.
